(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data to and/or from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag. More specifically, the invention relates to the use of a storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data to and/or from an RFID tag for item identification, classification, organization, databasing, tracking or locating.
(b) Description of Prior Art
It is routine practice in laboratory and/or industrial settings to store items in low temperature or cryogenic environments for the purpose of better preservation for short-term or long-term periods of time. Biotechnology and biomedical laboratories, for example, often store cell lines, DNA libraries, tissues, viral, bacterial, fungal and other biological specimens and biochemical agents in cryogenic environments for the purpose of better preservation for up to 15-20 years or more. Proper and secure labelling and identification of containers and items carrying these type of biological substances is pivotal for daily research, clinical and industrial operations.
Presently, item identification done by a handheld RFID reading device requires that a person searching in a storage device lift, for example, boxes or racks of boxes with one hand and hold the RFID reader in the other hand. In certain situations, for example, there might be hundreds or thousands of vials and/or containers stored in a single freezer or in a large liquid-nitrogen tank. Rapid identification of the right container or vial using the current labelling techniques is often difficult and time-consuming. Extended removal of a sample from a cold storage can be detrimental to the sample. For example, handling of cryogenic storage containers such as cryogenic boxes which are holding large number of cryogenic vials, micro-centrifuge tubes or microscope slides at room temperature, while seeking for the right vial or slide, can cause in many cases irreversible damage to the specimens contained therein and can decrease the viability and/or activity of cell cultures or other biological and/or biochemical substances. In addition, in cases of liquid nitrogen tanks, some spilling of the liquid nitrogen may happen which makes the procedure very inconvenient and even hazardous. If the RFID antenna and/or reader, individually or as a combined unit, is installed for example at an entry port or inside the device, the RFID tag can be read automatically during the lifting process and the person has both hands free to carry out the necessary operations such as entering or retrieving items from the low or ultra-low temperature storage device, or manipulating or moving items currently being stored.
It is also inconvenient and in some cases difficult or not practical to carry an RFID reader every time one needs to add, remove or move an item in a storage device.
Radio frequency identification (RFID) technology is an automatic way to collect product, place, time or transaction data quickly and easily without human intervention or error. An RFID tag can be programmed with information about a particular item and can be as small or smaller than a grain of sand.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data to and/or from a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag and an RFID tag transceiver, wherein the antenna is installed on or near the storage device.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with the use of a storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data to and/or from an RFID tag and an RFID tag transceiver for item identification, organization, tracking and locating.
It would be highly desirable to be provided with a storage device comprising an antenna for transmission of data between a plurality of RFID tags and an RFID reader(s) simultaneously for item identification, classification, organization, databasing, tracking and locating.